Production of tufted fabrics



May 26, 1959 w. FELTON PRODUCTION OF TUFTED FABRICS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Nov. 28, 1955 Inventor WILLIAM 551.70 1/ QMMWL 55M 53mm AttorneyFiled Nov 28', 1955- 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

Inventor WILL/AM FELTON 4 By 7 QMMM SAM sac-Lawn Attorney May 26, 1959WpFELTON 2,887,966

PRODUCTION OF TUFTED FABRICS Filed Nov. 28, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 4

Imenlor WILL/AM FELTON By Altar/20y w. FELTON PRODUCTION OF TUFTEDFABRICS May 26, 19 59 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 28, 1955 InuenlorWILL/HM FE LTON Altomq n met United States Paten 2,887,966 PRODUCTION OFTUFTED FABRICS William Felton, Bradford, England Application November28, 1955, Serial No. 549,464

Claims priority, application Great Britain December 17, 1954 x 15Claims. 01. 112-795 This invention relates to that kind of loom forproducing tufted fabrics, such as carpets, by the application ofPatented May 26, 1959. I

. said end by a stop.

' The means also preferably include an additional support which operatesbetweenthe needles to support the fabric at right angles to the supportprovided by a comblike support and thereby additionally support thefabric against the drag exerted thereon by the pulling of the tail.

yarn or thread to an already produced fabric, such as canvas. 'The mainobject of the invention is to provide a novel'process and means for thatpurpose which result in the secure attachment of the tufts to the fabricwith' out-having yarn extending from one tuft to another and ends of thetuft lengths through the fabric.

In the more or less diagrammatic drawings- Figure 1 is a fragmentaryside view in section of a part of a machine for tufting. v Figure 2 is afragmentary plan view illustrating a de- Figure 3 is a fragmentary planview illustrating another detail.

Figures 4 and 5 together represent a fragmentary rear" view partlyinsection.

therefore without the using of more thread or yarn than is necessary toproduce the tufts themselves. I

A process of producing a tufted fabric consists in supporting separatetuft lengths, supporting a piece of fabric, forming holes in the saidfabric and drawing the ends of the said lengths through separate of thesaid holes so that each length remains attached to the fabric-whilst theends project from the holes at one side of the fabric.

The process also consists in feeding the supported tuft lengths and thefabrics so that holes are made in succes- Referring to the drawings, inthe construction shown therein, there is an intermittently rotatabletransporting orfeed ing means for the filament memberl which is on ashaft 10 and which can also be subjected to a small 1, amount of axialdisplacement when required. The mem- I her has pairs of supports orblades 2 placed circularly around it at predetermined distances apart,the blades of each pair) also being placed at uniform predetermineddistances apart. Each blade is provided with a series of notches 3spaced at suitable distances apart along its sive parts of the fabric,and the tuft lengths are opposed to. said successive parts preparatoryto having their ends drawn through the holes.

The process furthermore preferably consists in foreing' one projectingend towards the other and thereupon holding projecting ends frominterfering with the ends of further tuft lengths inserted into thefabric.'

The process furthermore consists in drawing both ends of each tuftlength simultaneously through diiferent holes 1 length and each adaptedto have a different continuous length 4 of=thread or yarn pressed intoit for example" by means of one of a series of discs 5 mounted at therequisite distances apart on a shaft 6' which can be rotatedby yarn 'orthread or'other means.

in=the fabric as distinguished from pushing the said ends therethrough.Means for performing the said process p'referablyin cludes a feed memberwhich holds-tuft lengths, means for" moving a piece of fabric, pairs ofneedles, points for",

piercing the'fabric from that side which is distal from the tuftlengths, notches or holes in the-needles for simul taneous engagement bythe tuft lengths, and means for closing the notches or holes tofacilitate withdrawal of the needles from the fabric, the withdrawal ofthene'edles causing the ends of the tuft lengths to be pulled from the"near side of the fabric through the fabric tothe distal side thereofwhilst'leaving an intermediate part of each tuft length at the said nearside.

The feed member may be adapted to take and hold yarn'or thread incontinuous length and there may be The, different. continuous lengths 4of thread or yarn, drawmfor example'from acreel, are forced in acontinuousjmanner into the notches 3 and fed as the said member 1 'anddiscs 5 rotate.

A series of'cutter blades 6 is mounted in a holder 7 which (islongitudinally slidably mounted on a slide 8 laterally slidably mountedon a stationary bed 9, whereby the holder 7 can be moved axiallyrelative to the member 1 and simultaneously towards or away from thesaid member thus imparting to each cutter 6 a localised rotary 'movementwhich causes the cutters to enter between each' successive pair ofblades 2 as each pair comes into register therewith and sever thelengths 4 of yarn at the places I where 'they 'are stretched between thesaid pair of blades 2. The combined movement of the holder 7 andtherefore the; blades '6] is obtained from an eccentric 11 whichreciprocatesarod 12 guided in a part 13 of the bed 9 and havingla'rolle'r 14which engages a slot 15 in a'pa rt 16 of the holder 7, andfrom eccentrics 17 each connected by a part 1 8to the slide 8. Theeccentric 11 thus produces the relative; axial movement and theeccentrics 17 produce cutting means to cut the held yarn or thread intotuft lengths.

The said means furthermore preferably include driving means which drivethe feed means and fabric synchronously and intermittently in order toproduce dwells in the motion thereof during which the said needles pass1 through the fabric, are engaged with the tuft lengths and areWithdrawn from the fabric.

The said means furthermore preferably include a comb-like support forthe fabric, Where the needles pass through it, the needles beingadapted'to pass through the gaps in the support.

Thelmeans also preferably. include a stop which is adjacent? pair.

the relative advancing and receding movement. Intermittent rotation ofthe said member 1 causes each pair of blades 2 successively to registerwith the cutters 6 and v the lengths 4 of yarn or thread are thereforecut by successiye cutsinto shorter lengths each of which is about equal.to a tuft length, the said shorter lengths still being held stretchedby the blades 2 so that each length extends from the;blade of one pairto the adjacent blade ;of an? Nearthe rotary member 1 there is a support19. in S which a row of thread gripping means or'pairs of needlesv 20'.are mounted-radially to the rotary 'member 1. A II combz-likefrest 21isarranged between the support moved to theends' of already'insertedlengths... the rotaminember with each gaplzof the rest in-registei' 14with one pair of the needles and allowing the said pair simultaneouslyto be pushed and pulled through it.

The support 19 is first control means or mechanism comprising a pair ofcams 23 which cause the needles sior notch 25 facing in a directionopposite to that in which the rotary member 1 is axially displaced. Eachslide 24 has a point 26 and the slides are all mounted on a carryingframe 27 having parts 28 slidable in stationary members 29 andreciprocated by second control means or cams 30 so as to cause them toallow the mouths of the notches 25 to remain uncovered whilst theneedles 20 are projected between the adjacent pair of blades 2 and therotary member 1 is being displaced axially, and thereupon to cover thesaid mouths and keep them covered until the needles have been drawn backto the distal side of the sup? port 21. The projection of the needlesinto the space between adjacent pairs of blades 2 and the axialdisplacement of the rotary member causes one piececut from thecontinuous length of yarn or thread to be brought into the notches ofboth needles of each pair of needles, whilst the said piece is stillheld stretched by the adjacent blades of two adjacent pairs of blades 2.In Figure l, a piece cut by one of the cutters 6 is shown and marked31'. Each pair of needles 2t is in a different plane which is at rightangles to the axis of rotation of the member 1 and each pair of needlestherefore engages a different cut off piece at two spaced places onebehind the other. A let-off mechanism is provided to control a shaft onwhich a roll of fabric, for example canvas is mounted and there areguide and tension members over which the fabric passes before it passesover the support 21 at that side of the support which is nearest therotary member 1. Some of the fabric is shown in Figure 1 and is marked32. From the support 21 the fabric passes beneath a stationary guideblock 33 to suitable transporting means such as a pair of feed rollers Aand B, with the roller A shown as being in driven connection with rollerB by a chain E while a chain F passes around a sprocket wheel G securedto roller B and sprocket Wheel H on shaft 10 of rotary member 1. A pawlC connected to an arm D rests on a ratchet wheel R fixed to roller B sothat when the arm D is oscillated as by a cam 38, the fabric 32 isprogressed. Thus, the feed rollers A and B are rotated intermittently tomove the fabric 32 at a linear speed which is synchronous with thelinear speed at which the cut pieces of the filament or thread are fedby the rotary member to the needles. The interruption in the linearmotion of the fabric 32 and the rotary motion of the member 1 issynchronous. That is to say, the first transporting means or rotarymember 1 and the second transporting means or feed rollers A and B arethus operatively connected for synchronous intermittent movement so thateach pair of thread supports 2 is at a standstill when located oppositethe associated fabric portion which is at a standstill. The axialdisplacement of the member 1 occurs whilst the fabric is stationary andthe rotary member is not rotating.

The points 26 of the tubular slides 24 enable the slides 24 to readilypenetrate through the fabric 32,0n the support 21 when projected throughthe gaps of the sup,- port 21 into position between adjacent pairs ofblades 2, this projection taking place whilst the fabric and rotarymember are momentarily stationary. The said projection is accompanied bya movement of the needles 20 in the same direction whilst the upper endsof the needlesare retracted into the slides 24. The needles thus passwith the slides through the fabric, whereupon.the needles-and slidesthenremain projecting from the near sideiof the 4. j fabric but theslides move to uncover the notches 25 so that the cut piece can be madeto enter the notches 25 by axial displacement of the member 1. After thepiece has been engaged, the slides 24 move to cover the notches 25 andgrip the piece between them and the needles of the pair. The needles andslides are thereupon simultaneously withdrawn back again to the distalside of the support 21. This withdrawl results in each end of each cutpiece engaged in a notch 25 and gripped by the corresponding slide 24against Withdrawal from the notches being pulled through a separate holeof the holes made in the fabric by the slides 24, with the result that aportion of each piece remains at that side of the fabric 32 nearest therotary member 1 whilst the remainder projects from the other side of thefabric to form the projecting part of a tuft. The slides 24 may beoperated thereupon to release the ends or the needles be operated so asto forcibly withdraw them from the said ends. Thus a row of. tufts isproduced in the fabric. To assist the support 211. insupporting thefabric 32 against the pull exerted thereon when the ends are pulledtherethrough by the needles 20, there is an auxiliary supporting member34 having a comb-like upper part to mesh with the comb-like partof thesupport 21 and adapted to be projected radially-into meshing positionand withdrawn therefrom by an operating mechanism including cams 35 soas to support the fabric 32 at places which are in register with thegaps 22 .of, the support and are situated between the needles 20 of eachpair.

When a row of tufts has been thus inserted, the fabric 32 and the rotarymember 1 are fed a step further. so as to bring a fresh part of thefabric into position above the needles 20 and a fresh row of cut offpieces into.

position for engagement with the needles. To ensure that the alreadyinserted row of tufts shall not interfere with x the insertion of thenext further row now to be inserted,

there is a rocking comb 36 which is suitably driven so,-

that whilst the needles and slides 24 are retracted, the trailing .endsof the tufts are pushed by the comb in the direction of travel of thefabric 32 indicated by arrow 37 in Figure. 1 but at a greater speed.There is also a bar 37a carried by arm D operated for example by cam 38so that whilst it is out of the path of the produced row of tufts itmoves into a position in front of the trailing end of the lastproducedrow of tufts, is thereupon caused to rise and arrive behind the saidtrailing ends and finally is,caused to travel substantially in the samedirection as the fabric at substantially the same speed as the fabric,the oscillating comb 36 assisting the bar 37 in the collection of theends of the row of tufts in order to ensure that all the said ends shallbe out of the way of the needles.

when they are next moved to project again through the support 21 andfabric 32 into position between one of the I said ad acent pair ofblades 2 and another adjacent'pair of blades 2., The operations repeatthemselves to makev further rows of tufts.

As all of the necessary motions or nearly all of them can be readilyobtained by means of rotary earns, the herembefore described machine iscapable of operating at speeds which enable an economic output of tuftedfabric to ,beobtained.

Wherever the term fabric hereinbefore or hereinafter appears it is to beunderstood that it includes sheet materials, such as sheet rubber, paperand so forth and sheet fabrics such as felt fabric, woven fabric,knitted placing the rotatable member 1 and therefore also the blades 2,there may be means for axially displacing they.

pairs of blades 2 only.

In another alternative which may be employed with or withoutdisplacement of the rotary member 1 or blades 2, thei ends' of theneedles may be shaped-to displacethe" stretched shorter lengthslaterally against their own resil- -iency so that they will snapautomatically into the notches when the mouths thereof come intoregister with the said shorter lengths.

-I claim:

'1. An apparatus for producing tufted fabric comprising, 'incombination, supporting means for supporting a backing fabric; at leastone pair of supports adapted to releasably hold a tuftlength at the endsthereof so that the respective tuft length extends straight beween saidsupports, said pair of supports and said supporting means being locatedrelative to each other in such a position that the tuft length extendsparallel to and'on one side of the supporting means for the backingfabric and opposite to the supporting means; gripping means locatedopposite said supports; and operating means for reciprocating saidgripping means and being located on the side of said fabric supportingmeans remote from said pair of supports, said operating means movingsaid gripping means from the other side of said fabric through the same'for gripping the tuft length, and moving said gripping means back to theother side of said fabric so that said ends of'said tuft length arereleased by said pair of supports and drawn to the other side of saidfabric to form a pilethereon. I

2. An apparatus for producing tufted fabric comprising, in combination,supporting means for supporting a backing fabric; at least one pair ofsupports adapted to releasably hold a tuft length at the ends thereof sothat the respective tuft length extends straight beween said supports,said pair of supports and said supporting means being located relativeto each other in such a position that the tuft length extends parallelto and on one side of the supporting means for the backing fabric andopposite to the supporting means; a pair of pointed gripping meansspaced from each other a distance shorter than said supports and beinglocated opposite said supports; and operating means for reciprocatingsaid gripping means and being located on the side of said fabricsupporting means remote from said pair of supports, said operating meansmoving said pair of gripping means from the other side of said fabricthrough the same for gripping the tuft length, and moving said pair ofgripping means back to the other side of said fabric so that said endsof said tuft length are released by said pair of supports and drawn tothe other side of said fabric to form a pile thereon.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said operating meansinclude cam means.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein each of said grippingmeans includes a pointed needle having a transverse notch adjacent thepoint thereof and a tubular member having a pointed edge and slidablyhousing the respective needle and being movable along the same forclosing and opening said notch, said tubular members being controlled bysaid operating means to close said notches when said notches engage thetuft length, and to open said notches when said supports have releasedsaid tuft lengths.

5. An apparatus for producing tufted fabric comprising, in combination,supporting means for supporting a backing fabric; at least one pair ofsupports adapted to releasably hold a tuft length at the ends thereof sothat the respective tuft length extends straight between said supports,said pair of supports and said supporting means being located relativeto each other in such a position that the tuft length extends parallelto and on one side of the supporting means for the backing fabric andopposite to the supporting means; a pair of pointed gripping meansspaced from each other a distance shorter than said supports and beinglocated opposite said supports, each of said gripping means including aneedle having a notch and a closure member movable relative to therespective needle for closing and opening the respective notch;operating means located on the side of said fabric support ing meansremote from said pair of supports, said operating means including firstand second control means for controlling the movement of said pair ofneedles and of said pair of closure members, said operating means movingsaid pair of gripping means from the other side of said fabric throughthe same, moving said closure members to notch-closing position when atuft length is engaged in said notches, retracting said grippingmeans'to the other side of said fabric to cause release of therespective tuft length by said supports, and moving said closure membersto notch-opening position so that the ends of the tuft lengths form apile on the other side of the fabric.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said closure members aretubular members having pointed edges, each tubular closure memberslidably housing the respective needle.

7. An apparatus for'producing tufted fabric comprising, in combination,supporting means for supporting a backing fabric; at least one pair ofsupports adapted to releasably hold a tuft length at the ends thereof sothat the respective tuft length extends straight beween said supports,said pair of supports and said supporting means being located relativeto each other in such a position that the tuft length extends parallelto and on one side of the supporting means for the backing fabric andopposite to the supporting means, said pair of supports being movable ina direction transverse to the-plane of said supports; shifting means forshifting said pair of supports in said transverse direction; a pair ofpointed gripping means spaced from each other a distance shorter thanthe distance between said supports and being locatedopposite saidsupports, each of said gripping means including a needle having a notchand a closure member movable relative to the respective needle forclosing and opening the respective notch; operating means located on theside of said fabric supporting means remote from said pair of supports,said operating means including first and second control means forcontrolling the movement of said pair of needles and of said pair ofclosure members, said operating means moving said pair of gripping meansfrom the other side of said fabric through the same, moving said closuremembers to notch-closing position when a tuft length is engaged in saidnotches, retracting said gripping means to the other side of said fabricto cause release of the respective tuft length by said supports, andmoving said closure members to notch-opening position so that the endsof the tuft lengths form a pile on the other side of the fabric; andactuating means for actuating said first and second control means andsaid shifting means in a timed sequence so the pair of supports isshifted for inserting a tuft length into said notches when said grippingmembers are in notch-opening position.

8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said first and secondcontrol means include cam means.

9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 5 and including firstintermittently movable transporting means, and a plurality of pairs ofsupports mounted on said transporting means so that upon movement ofsaid first transport- 1ng means each of said pairs of supports issuccessively placed opposite said gripping means; and secondintemiittently movable transporting means for intermittentlytransporting said backing fabric so that successive portions of saidbacking fabric are successively placed opposite said gripping means,said first and second transporting means being connected to each otherfor movement synchronously and intermittently so that each pair ofsupports is at a standstill when located opposite the associated fabricportion which is at a standstill.

10. An apparatus as set forth in claim 9 and including a rocking comblocated in the region of said gripping means trailing the same indirection of movement of said second transporting means and adapted tobe located on the other side of the fabric and being movable indirection of movement of said second transporting means for pushing theends of tuft lengths projecting from said other 7 side .of said fabricin direction of travel of the fabric and out .of the way of saidgripping means.

11. Anapparatus as set forth in claim 9 and includinga bar reciprocablein direction of movement of said sec ond transporting meansleading indirection of movement of the same with respect to said gripping meansfor moving tuft lengths projecting from said other side of said fabricout of the way of said gripping means.

12. An apparatus as set forth in claim 7 and including firstintermittently movable transporting means, and a plurality of pairs ofsupports mounted on said transporting means so that upon movement ofsaid first transporting means each of said pairs of supports issuccessively placed opposite said gripping means; and secondintermittently movable transporting means for intermittentlytransporting said backing fabric so that successive portions of saidbacking fabric are successively placed opposite said gripping means,said first and second transporting means being connected to each otherfor movement in a timed sequence so that each pair of supports is at astandstill when located opposite the associated fabric portion which isat a standstill.

13. An apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein said closure membersare tubular members having pointed annular edges, each closure memberslidably housing the respective needle.

14. An apparatus as set forth in claim 13 wherein said first and secondcontrol means include cams.

15. An apparatus for producing tufted fabric comprising, in combination,supporting means for supporting a backing fabric, means forintermittently moving a backing fabric in one direction so thatconsecutive fabric pors.) tionssuccessively assume a predeterminedposition feed-. ing means including a plurality of pairsof supports,each pair of supports being adapted to releasably support a tuft lengthat the ends thereof so that the respective'tufL .length extends straightbetween the respective-pain of means for engaging said lengths of tuftand-being spaced from each other a distance shorter than the distance;

between the supports of said pairs of supports, said grip. pingmeansbeing movable between a retracted position; located on the other side ofthe fabricto an advanced position; operating means for moving said pair.of-gripping means from retracted position on the other side of saidfabric through each ofsaid portions of said fabric to-said advancedposition for gripping the respectivetuft length, and for moving saidpair of gripping means backtozthem otherside of said fabric so that saidends of the respective,

tuft length are released by said pair of supports and,

drawn to the other, side of said fabric to form a pile)- thereon.

ReferencesCited in the file of this patent,

UNITED STATES PATENTS,

1,714,928 Sigoda May 28,,1929; 1,863,049 Hermann June 14, 1932;1,960,118 Mathewson May 22, .1934, 2,667,879 Mann et a1. Feb. 2, 1954

